


Small Steps

by nyagosstar



Series: Better With Two [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 06:14:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4553862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyagosstar/pseuds/nyagosstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Krem works out some logistics concerning Felix and then they get to spend the afternoon together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Steps

“You left out some key information, Altus.” Krem takes a certain delight in watching Dorian jump at his sudden intrusion to the little alcove in the library he calls home. It’s not often he can catch Dorian unaware. It’s not often he seeks Dorian out, to be honest, he’s just sort of around when the Chief is around. Chances for a quiet approach are scarce.

Dorian snaps his books shut and arcs an eyebrow trying not to look surprised. Krem thinks that it’s a good thing Dorian left Tevinter because he’s frankly a shit Altus. From his bed partners to his ideals to his terrible card face, it’s surprising Tevinter didn’t eat him up earlier. As it is, he looks like a cat that missed a jump and is now sitting on the floor licking a paw trying to cover the fall. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“About your friend. You could have told me he was sick.” He’d stood with Felix on the wall looking up at the stars for a good part of an hour as they traded brief histories and body heat. Krem had walked Felix to his guest room and then gone back to his own bed to spend the rest of the night pretending to sleep. He doesn’t regret it, but forewarning would have been nice.

Instead of a witty remark, Dorian rubs the line of his forehead and sighs. “Some things aren’t mine to tell.” His lips turn down and his shoulders slump. He looks a little like the way he did when he came back from Redcliffe and the meeting no one will talk about. 

Krem takes a seat on the windowsill. “How sick is he?”

“Better now, if you can believe it. I can’t find a way to eradicate the taint, but we’ve contained it. It’s the best I could come up with.” He sounds disappointed, like the only cure to for the blight in all of Thedas is something to be ashamed of. 

“He said there was a risk of transference?” Krem tries to stay cool, but the grin that breaks out on Dorian’s face tells him he wasn’t so lucky.

“You dog!” He leans forward. “Did you take him into the garden as tell him he was a lovely creature? I didn’t think that would work on Felix.”

There’s just a touch of delight in Dorian’s expression that Krem doesn’t know how to take. He expected Dorian to be cautionary or even jealous. To find him pleased is strange. “I’m not here to talk about that. Felix clear on the spell and I was curious.”

Dorian nods, a mockingly serious frown on his face. “Of course, of course, empirical curiosity only, I’m sure.” His lightness dimmed as he turned contemplative. “The spell contains the traces of the blight within him, keeps it from spreading, keeps it from killing him. But it’s not gone.” He runs his hand over his face, careful of is mustache. “I don’t know how to excise it yet, but I’m working on it.”

“That should mean he isn’t contagious, or whatever. Right? I heard the Gray Wardens run around with the blight in them the whole time they’re active and they still have families.”

“Was he worried about that? I told him it was a passing thought, not a concern. There’s no evidence that it could be passed on through physical contact.” Instead of the teasing Krem expects, Dorian is thoughtful. He begins muttering, talking to himself and Krem knows he’s lost Dorian’s attention. He leaves the mage to his work. He has his own to see to.

#

“You’re distracted, today.” 

Krem looks up with an inquisitive sound just as the Chief plows into his shield with enough force to knock him back a few steps.

“See. Distracted.” It is the end of their training session. After drills with the Chargers, he and the Chief ran through a workout of their own. It’s easily Krem’s favorite part of the day.

Krem shakes his head and shakes out his arms to relieve the tingling from the impact. “I’m good.”

“You’ve got an admirer.” It isn’t right how amused the Chief sounds. He points up to the wall overlooking the practice yard where Felix and Dorian are standing watching their bout.

Krem hides his smile behind a hand. “Please. The day Dorian doesn’t come to gawk at you getting all sweaty is the day Skyhold is on _fire_.” They turn away and line themselves up for another run. Aware of his audience, now, Krem stands a little straighter, focuses a little tighter to put on a good show. 

“You like the vint?” the Chief asks as he runs at him again, catching the edge of his shield, but not flipping it up this time. Krem takes the advantage to shove back and kick at the Chief’s feet. It earns him a laugh and they square off again.

“He’s,” Krem grunts under the weight of the next impact but holds his ground. It also gives him time to think about his response. What to say about someone he’s only known for a few hours? “Nice.” And there isn’t enough nice in Krem’s life. Sarcastic, funny, dry, witty, but nice isn’t in high demand. Nice doesn’t make for great mercenaries.

The Chief grunts in acknowledgement and looks like he’s not quite sure what to make of that. Of course, considering that about seventy-five percent of his relationship with Dorian is shouting, Krem isn’t sure the Chief appreciates the value of nice. They finish their bout and as they come off the field are greeted by Felix and Dorian.

The Chief and Dorian head off almost immediately and Krem is left with Felix who is trying very hard not to check out Krem’s arms. It’s sweet. 

“You’re very good,” Felix says, motioning to the training yard. 

Krem wipes the sweat from his face with a towel and shrugs. “It’s a pretty big part of the job.” About half of the new recruits to the Chargers wash out in the first week thinking that the life of a mercenary is all highway robbery and drinking. While there’s a fair share of both of those things, there’s also a lot of fighting and the Chief doesn’t like to lose his men. They practice every day, they stay ready, they stay sharp so that when there is a loss, it’s not because someone was careless. “And it gives us something to do in the downtime.”

“You’re good with the rest of them, too. You direct them well.” It’s cute the way Felix tries to find a topic they can discuss. 

Krem could watch him pick his words for an hour. Instead, he throws him a bone. “Thanks. How are you finding your time at Skyhold?”

“It’s very,” he pauses and looks around. “Square.”

“Right? Ferelden’s love their boxes. Something about function over form, like a nice spire or a circle would be an affront to the Maker.” He motions for a couple of guys to clean up the yard before Cullen’s men arrive and then nods in the direction of the tavern. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Felix nods and they head over, though it’s still light out and hours before the place will be filled up. Krem doesn’t mind. It gives them a chance to find a quiet space and talk. Felix is easy to talk to, once he moves past his initial shyness. Krem has a few stories from the Chargers that always break the ice and Felix spends an hour talking about his research in mathematics. Math has never really been much of a strong point for Krem, but he enjoys hearing about it and tracing the way Felix’s mind works out the puzzles.

There’s a slight lull in the conversation and Felix is back to being shy again. “Dorian said you came to see him?”

“Sorry if that was out of line.” It occurs to him that maybe Felix doesn’t like other people talking about his illness without him present. “I just wanted a little more information.”

Felix waves a hand. “No, it’s fine. Dorian has a better understanding of what’s happening that I.” He clears his throat. “I understand I may have a misapprehension about my condition.”

They’re already pretty close. The table is small and as the tavern filled up and Maryden started singing, Krem moved closer. It’s hardly any chore to close more distance between them, pick up Felix’s hand and run his thumb over Felix’s knuckles. He’s close enough to see Felix’s pupils dilate and feel his breath as his lips part. 

Across the tavern a loud chorus of cheers erupts. Krem looks over to see Varric has won some sort of hand. If there’s betting going on, the little bit of peace they have will soon be gone. He kisses Felix’s hand, admiring the smooth skin and then stands. “I think we can find a spot with a little more quiet.” He offers his arm the way he did the night before and they exit in the soft evening light of the keep. He leads the way up to the great hall then out into the garden.

“I wouldn’t say it’s really a garden.” A few potted plants and a gazebo hardly seem enough for the title, but it’s the calmest, prettiest place inside the walls. In the evening hours, it’s mostly deserted and Krem walks them over toward the gazebo. “I’m sure you’re used to much grander.”

“Grander, but filled with snakes. I find I like it here better.” He squeezes Krem’s arm as they walk up the steps to the gazebo. 

Neither one of them feels much like sitting. Krem takes the imitative and walks Felix back against one of the supporting posts, crowding into him, but gentle and ready to step back if Felix seems hesitant. Instead, Felix sides his hands around Krem’s waist and pulls him closer until they’re flush against each other. He widens his stance a little until Krem is tucked between Felix’s legs. They fit together like they were made for this.

Krem breathes in the warm scent of Felix’s neck, feels him shiver under his touch. “Is it all right if I kiss you?”

“Please.” Felix shudders against him. He leans down as Krem pushes up and their lips meet for the first time. Slow, gentle. Felix is a bit clumsy, a bit hesitant, but Krem doesn’t mind. He sides a hand up Felix’s neck to rest at his jaw and guide’s Felix’s head into a more comfortable position. 

Felix moans and his hands tighten convulsively at Krem’s waist. After a slow start, Felix is enthusiastic and generous. He pulls Krem closer and shifts so he can kiss along the line of Krem’s jaw, up behind his ear, the soft puffs of his breath eliciting a hum of appreciation from Krem. For his part, Krem is happy to stay there forever, mapping to taste and feel of Felix’s lips and tongue with his own.

Behind them, someone coughs gently, but Krem is too intent on Felix’s soft lips to care much about propriety. The cough comes again and this time the soft voice of Mother Giselle glides toward them. “Perhaps there are better venues for this? We’re to begin our evening service soon.”

Krem leans back and sees the exact moment Felix realizes a Holy Mother is addressing them. He flushes deep red, starting at his throat and working all the way up his face to the tips of his ears. His fingers unclench from Krem’s waist, though his breathing is still heavy, a match to Krem’s own. “My apologies, Revered Mother.” It would have been a fine effort, but his voice is rough and breathless.

All Krem wants to do is lean in and follow the line of Felix’s flush with his tongue. Instead he steps back, and shifts his hold from the curve of Felix’s jaw to his hand where he twines their fingers together. “Evening,” is all he says to Mother Giselle as he leads the way out of the garden.

In the hallway leading back to the great hall, Felix pulls him to a stop. “I didn’t realize it was quite so late. I promised I would meet with Dorian for research.” But he sways in toward Krem. “I’ve never in my life wanted to break an engagement so much as I do right now.”

Krem presses another kiss to Felix’s upturned lips. “Go to your meeting with Dorian. He’s insufferable to live with when he doesn’t get his way. You’ll be doing us all a favor. And this,” he kisses Felix one last time and then pulls back before he can’t “We’ll keep. You’ll have dinner with me tomorrow?” 

“Yes, please. You don’t mind if I come to watch you train?”

“I’m looking forward to it.” He watches Felix leave, and when he’s alone in the hallway, he lets his head fall back against the wall. Nice and sweet and _honest_. He was in so much trouble.

**Author's Note:**

> I very loosely call this a series. More like a collection of related stories. It will likely run chronologically, because that's kind of how my brain works best, and be updated sporadically. I didn't even mean for there to be more of this. But Krem's voice is so strong and I love the idea of them running around Skyhold together.


End file.
